Werewulf Journals 4: Sated Pleasures (7 page)

Pavel laughed so hard he fell over onto his side. His

uncontrollable mirth was so infectious Rickard found himself

laughing along with him. The two boys rolled in the grass, their

clothes drying in the hot sun.

Finally, Pavel sobered, flung himself flat on his back beside

Rickard. Turning to meet the boy’s gaze head on, he shook his head

in exasperation. “My liege, you need a keeper!”

Just as solemnly, Rickard nodded. He swallowed as he recalled

the terror he’d felt during that free fall dive over the edge of the

cliff. “Yes, I realized that, halfway down.” He glanced over at the

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35

younger boy, swallowed. “Looks like I found one. Will you be to me

what your father is to mine?”

Pavel straightened. Stared at him. “You mean…link with you? Be

one?”

Rickard nodded. “Do you want to?”

“We’ll be friends forever, then, like our fathers.”

He offered Pavel his wrist. “Friends forever…”

Pavel shifted enough to sink his fangs into his flesh.

It hurt…

Rickard opened his eyes to find Pavel and Kaila looking down on him, twin expressions of concern on their faces.

“Why would you try to sever our bond?” Anger lent a sharp edge to Pavel’s words.

His face wet with tears, Rickard gave a listless shrug. “I don’t belong anymore.”

Pavel frowned. “Or is it because our fathers were not forever friends? He betrayed your father to his death. Do you fear I will do the same?”

Rickard’s jaw dropped. Rage, like nothing he’d ever felt, not even when he’d finally confronted his uncle, seared a path along his nerve endings. How dare Pavel think such about him? Pavel should know he’d never doubt his loyalty, not after all they’d been through together. His head jerked up, mouth opened to hurl invective when his brain caught up with Pavel’s smug expression.

“Rickard, we share a den bond. You became my family that day. When I bit you, we exchanged DNA. There was already wulf blood in your bloodline, as our families have interacted and interbred since the crash landing. Our bond activated that latent DNA. Why else do you think you are rarely ill, look like a man in his early twenties when you are much closer to fifty? Why else do you have such greedy sexual needs…and such stamina?”

They’d had this discussion before.

“Humph! Stop trying to claim my appetite or my stamina is derived from your bite. As I recall, I was a randy boy and had already tossed my share of skirts long before that day on the cliff.”

“You were always precocious in that area!”

“You were barely a teenager yet.” Kaila shuddered, making a face. “Those women were just nasty wenches!”

Her outraged expression had Pavel compressing his lips into a straight line, fighting a grin. He leaned over and smoothed a white-gold hank of hair off Rickard’s forehead, cupped his face in his palms, forcing him to meet his eyes. “At any rate, Kaila and I will both be hurt and insulted if you insist on severing our link. We love you.”

36 Camille Anthony

Feeling embarrassed, Rickard subsided, shooting an underbrowed glare toward his wily vassal. “Go ahead,” he prompted resignedly, “say it.”

“Silly prince,” Pavel echoed softly.

For the first time in a heartrending long time, Rickard wasn’t the one to initiate their kiss.

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Inner Monsters

Five hours later, Pavel stared down at the various forensics reports, feeling sick at heart. The murdered client had been Anita Blakesley-Horn, the one who’d been in his office demanding a change in trainers just the day before. Since Ruff, Travis, and Brandon -- three trainers whose word he trusted -- had already met with him to discuss Delin’s inappropriate behavior, he’d felt no qualms apologizing and assuring her she would be assigned to another trainer immediately.

The horrible truth was that he hadn’t missed the signs of Delin’s unfitness for this job.

Looking back, he realized the rogue wulf had been one of the ones he’d targeted as a possible troublemaker during the preliminary orientations. His first inclination had been to send the wulf packing. Instead, he’d decided to give him a chance to prove his initial insubordination had only been nervous high jinks, the nervous reaction to beginning a new job.

Dropping his head into his hands, Pavel groaned, giving vent to the guilt eating him alive, burning like acid in his soul. Anita was dead because of his wrong call. He should have protected her, should have done something…more. The young mother of three would have been alive today if he’d followed through on his instincts.

They didn’t know when or how yet, but it was obvious Delin had killed her. Pavel had suspected it all along and the wulf’s disappearance during the night pretty much confirmed everyone’s doubts.

“Pavel, the plane has landed.”

Pavel jerked upright, body on the alert as he stared toward his office door. Rickard stood there, dressed in what he called casual clothing: a soft Izod T-shirt in pale yellow, tucked into a pair of chocolate Ralph Lauren chino slacks.

Pavel shook his head, trying to clear it. He’d been so immersed in thought he hadn’t heard or smelled his prince’s approach. That wasn’t good. There was a killer on the loose and 38 Camille Anthony

being distracted wasn’t going to help him apprehend him. He scrubbed at his face with a weary sigh. “Why aren’t you on the way to meet the NHP members Hunter sent?” Pavel started to rise, but Rickard waved him down.

“I want a word with you before I go.” Rickard shut the door and turned the lock, then turned and strolled further into the office, hands pushed too far down in his pockets for his pretense of relaxation to work. He took the seat on the other side of Pavel’s large desk.

“Of course, my liege. How may I serve you?”

Rickard frowned. “First, you can cut out that ‘liege’ scheiβe. Second, I wanted to thank you for last night. Not for the part with Kaila…that was tradition, though that too was gracious of you. I’m talking about your part, with me.”

Pavel felt the blood rush to his cheeks. “We share a bond.”

Rickard nodded. “That is why I feel I can ask you to tell me why Kaila hasn’t seen your fighting form.”

Pavel did not intend to go there this morning. His feelings were too raw; he was too caught up in this murder. He sighed. “Rickard, now is not the time for this. We are trying to catch a murderer…”

“And using that as an excuse is not going to placate me.” Rickard’s quick rejoinder stopped Pavel’s half-hearted explanations. “I know you well, my friend. Something is not right. Tell me what it is. Let me help.”

Pavel closed his eyes, avoiding Rickard’s implacable gaze. He ran his hands through his disordered hair, grabbed the locks at the nape of his neck between stiff fingers, and tugged.

When he glanced back up, he flinched at the pitying expression in Rickard’s clear blue eyes.

“You didn’t see Kaila’s first reaction to the wulf. She was terrified. She called me a monster. If she thought that about my fur form, what do you think she’ll do if she sees me in battle form? That truly is a thing of human nightmares, a monstrous form…”

Rickard’s eyes widened. His lips tightened. “Pavel Andreiavich Janecek, you are not a monster.”

“Recall what I did the last time I took that form.”

“You saved my life!”

“And I would do it again. That doesn’t make me any less a monster, though.”

Rickard paced. “Do you mean to tell me you bit Kaila, made her your mate without sharing everything with her first?”

“I have not been inappropriate. We are mated, not yet bound.”

Rickard’s mouth fell open. He shut it with a snap of his jaws. “Have you lost your mind as well as your courage?”

Pavel bristled. “How dare you call me a coward!”

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“I don’t know…perhaps because you’re acting like one? Or maybe it’s because the Pavel I know would never stray from the honorable path, and if you truly haven’t told her, your actions are the furthest from honorable I’ve ever seen you walk.”

Pavel didn’t answer. Rising, he paced over to the window and stared out, gazing toward the main buildings. As he stood there, Kaila strolled into sight, abundant curves swaying, face alight with interest, turning to speak to Karel, who walked an appropriate three paces behind her and to the side, as befitted a bodyguard en pointe.

He gasped for air, his heart aching with so much love for her he couldn’t catch his breath. He’d die if he lost her. He turned and faced his prince with renewed resolve.

“Instead of asking me how I can withhold information from Kaila when she walks in my mind, ask instead why she refuses to see what’s there. She doesn’t want to know, she doesn’t want to see the monster in me. I won’t show it to her until she demands it.”

“And if she doesn’t? How long do you intend to go through life denying an intrinsic part of yourself? How long before the strain begins to tell on your relationship? How long do you think you could keep up living a lie before your mate?”

Pavel turned back to the window, straining to catch a glimpse of Kaila’s disappearing back. “As long as it takes, Rickard. As long as it takes…”

40 Camille Anthony

Whipping Boy

“Karel, it is good to see you again. Of course, I wish it could have been under better circumstances.”

“Thank you, Prima.”

“Please, we’ve already been through this. I thought I told you to call me Kaila.”

He shook his head. “You are my Alpha’s woman, the future Prima of my pack. It is no longer appropriate for me to speak to you so informally.”

Kaila huffed. “Oh, for goodness sakes, why not? I don’t see what the big deal is. I thought we were growing close, becoming friends.”

Karel stopped walking so Kaila stopped, too. Folding his hands behind his back, he rocked back on his heels, gaze focused over her head, a diffident expression on his face. “As to that, allow me to tender my apologies. I’ve been informed that my earlier actions were inappropriate. I should not have overstepped my bounds.”

Kaila couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What are you talking about?”

“My Alpha did not take kindly to my audacity in informing you of my attraction.”

Kaila was aghast. “Please tell me you’re making that up. Did Pavel really say something to you about that?”

Karel nodded.

Kaila’s lips tightened as her brows lowered. Sucking in a deep breath, she held it while she counted to ten, adding an extra fifteen when she got to eleven and her anger was still at the explosive point. “Where does he get off telling you what to do? I won’t let anyone --

Pavel included -- dictate whom I can have as a friend.” She gave Karel a soft smile and a commiserating pat on his crossed arms. “Don’t worry about Pavel. Everything will be cool Werewulf Journals 4: Sated Pleasures

41

once I have a nice little talk with Mr. High and Mighty Alpha wulf Janecek and get him told a thing or three.”

Karel widened his eyes in alarm. An expression of dread sharpened his suddenly gray features. “Please, I would ask you not to say anything.”

She stopped, confused at the note of real fear in Karel’s voice. “You don’t have to ask.

I’m glad to go to bat for you.”

He gave a quick, impatient noise, more a whew than a sigh. “You have many things yet to learn about us wulves. Our social structure is nothing like the one you enjoyed in America. The authority an Alpha Prime wields over his pack is greater even than that afforded a country’s crowned head of state. Though he is my cousin, Pavel is my Alpha first, holding the power of life and death over me. I have sworn obedience to him in all things. He has expressed his displeasure and ordered me to keep my distance and no matter my personal desires, I will obey.”

“So, to hell with our friendship, is that it? You’re just going to lie down and take that unfair bullshit?”

“Perhaps, according to your standards, it is unfair. Still, it is his right to command and my choice to obey.”

His answer made her ache. She glanced away, unable to hold his direct gaze. She shrugged. “Never mind, then. I just thought…” She looked up, looked away just as fast, sucking in an embarrassed breath as she caught the passion glittering in his melting brown eyes.

Oh god, I wish I hadn’t brought this up! That quick glance had revealed a hint of the emotional turbulence seething beneath the mask of his stoic facial expression.

Karel sucked in a deep breath, a sobbing gasp.

Her eyes flew to his in quick alarm. Adrenaline poured through her veins, set her heart pounding wildly as he took several steps toward her, stopping to tower over her shorter frame. Averting her eyes, she noticed his hands, clenching and unclenching at his side until he followed her gaze and snapped them behind his back.

He moved back, stepped out of her personal space, and stood before her, breathing out on a long sigh. Gradually, his fierce look relaxed, leaving his face an unreadable mask. Only his eyes still blazed as he gazed into her wide eyes. “If I thought for one moment that killing Pavel would win me your affections, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

Kaila recoiled, whimpering at even the obscene possibility of being the cause of Pavel’s death.

“That’s what it would take, Kaila,” Karel said harshly, rolling over her instinctive sound of denial. “Pavel would never renounce his claim on you. He could no more step away from you than summer could refuse to follow spring. Any fool can see how much he loves 42 Camille Anthony

you…and you love him. Were I cursed enough to win a challenge duel with my cousin, you would hate me forever.”

Tears spilled down Kaila’s cheeks. She held out her hand, and let it drop before making contact. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

“And you have not. I treasure every moment we shared and do not regret a second. I must tuck away those memories in my heart, for I cannot be just your friend, always wanting more and knowing it is beyond my reach. Allow me this: to remain at your side, your guard and protector. But do not, I beg you, seek what once was.”